Inson



May 8, 1923. 1,454,469

F. s. DICKINSON ET AL FN IIUMATIC TIRE File: Nov. 20, 1919 2Sheets-Sheet 1 May 8,1923. 1,454,469

F. S DICKINSON ET AL PNEUMATIC TIRE Filed Nov. 20. 1919 2 Sheds-Sheet 2PM M B, 19623.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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Fig. 11 1s a detail H qtive Ham on an scale mm! 1n, station,iilnshnifpurticm 0 one of film card Sm 1 1 g. Y is a mi ciues-swtifintbm "h filgcore r mtmdml and illnstnxing 1E0 mmisml 1.1;;- 01 and 0f thefirst p a: the

fathom as ptoduce in w construciwn u the impmved cal-ma.

Fig. 11 is a dztaii arm-553mm throu the more or mandrel and illustratinghe will anablra l initial laid position of the cordsof superposed plies.and the insertion of the beadring at the bead-edge portion as producedin the improved construction according to our invention.

Fig. 12 is a detail cross-section through the core or mandrel andillustrating the final complete lay of the cords of superposed pliesover the core and in the completed beaded e construction;

ig. 13 is a detail cross-section through the core or mandrel on whichthe cords are laid with the superposed plies in position and in thecompleted bead-edge contraction, and illustrating clamping ring}:

which are employed in the construction of the carcass in connection withthe completed lay to maintain the cords against any slippage ordisplacement during the handling in the up lication of the side wallsand trend stock 0 thecasing and the vulcanizing thereof in the finalcompletion of the tire shoe or casing having the carcass according toour improved construction.

Corresponding parts in all the Figures are denoted by the same referencecharacters. Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a core or mandrelover which the cords arelaid in the construction of the cord body fabricas comprised in our present invention, said core constituting a formerand being annular and having a cross-sectional contour cor-res 0nding tothe desired inner cross-sectiona oontour of the tire shoe or casing. Inpractice,

' said annular core is made up of sections or segments adapted to beseparated so that the core can b readily removed from within thefinished tire shoe or casi In the construction of t he improved cordbody fabric or carcass as comprised in our resent invention, the circumerential surace of the core is first coated with an adhesive, perferablya rubber cement, and there is then placed at op site sides of the core,at points correspon ing to what will he the inner head portion of thetire casing, a strip of frictioned fabric 2, which will adhere to theadhesive coating upon the core and be positionally maintained thereby.Said frictioned fabric strips extend annulnrly with relation to the coreand are of a width sufiicient to extend upwardly, as at- 3, from thetoe, indicated at 4, of the bead in the finished tire casing a suitabledistance with relation to the bead-edge construction (say, in practice,approximately 1 inch) and :1 distance below the toe of the bead, as at5. sullicient to fully cover the base of the head in the final conditionof construction. The lower depending portion 5 of the frictioned fabricstrip is free and not in adhesive connection with the neck of the core.There is then placed over the core an envelope or covering, 6, having anadhesive quality, preferably uncured sheet rubber which will adher tothe adhesive coating of the core and will itself constitute an adhesiveelement. This covering extends over the circumferential surface of thecore, and preferably extends over the frictioned fabric strips 2--2 to apoint coincident with that of the bead toe. The cords are then laid overthe rubbercovered core under the conditions and in the mannerhereinafter described.

In our present invention, the cord carcass is constituted bya pluralityof strip units, 7, each consisting of adplurality of cords, S, assembledtogether si e by side. Any suit able number of cords may be employed ineach strip unit, but preferably we employ five cord lengths as hereinshown (Figs. 4, 8 and 9), it being understood that the width of thestrip unit is limited in its relation to the area of the variablecircumference of the core or former which is to be covered by the unitin the laying of the strips obliquely over the core side by side so thatthey effectively cover the entire area of the variable circumferencethereof. Each of said strip units is first produced in the shape andcondition hereinafter described, and the plurality of cord lengthsconstituting the unit are rubber treated 50 that they hav an adhesivequality and maintain the shape and assembled construction in which theunit is produced. In the completed cord strip unit, the assembledlurality of cord lengths are each respective y formed so that at theterminal ends at the bead-ed a portion the cords are flattened, as at 9(l 'igs. 5 and 9.), the narrow diameter of said flattened ends being atright angles to the annulus of the tire. and from said flattened endportions the cords gradually and progressively merge into a truecylindrical cross-section, as at 10 (see Figs. 6 and 9 at the Sideportions above the bead, and rom said cvlindrical side portions thecordsagain gra ually merge into a flattened central portion, as at 11(seeFigs. T and 9), in which the narrow diameter is at right angles tothe narrow diameter of the flattened end portions 9 and is in the planeof the annulus of the tire, said flattened central portions 11 being atthe peripheral or tread portion above the sides. The cord lengths areinitially of cylindrical cross-section throughout their length, and arecompressed to impart the variable contour as just described in theprocess of producing'the cord strip unit, which may be done by anyadapted apparatus or means, and the cohesion of the cord lengths in thiscontour is thereafter maintained. The completed strip unit is thereforewider at its central or tread por tion 11 and gradually narrows to itsintermediate or side portions 10-10 and to their terminal ends 99 at thebead, which ends are cut at a corresponding acute angle. as at 12. whichwill conform to the annular line of the head when the cord strips arelaid strip is laid oi: positioned.

The cord strip units are of such predetermined length that they willextend overthe core, at the desired oblique or diagonal angle of lay,from a point on one side corresponding to the point of the beadetoecontact 4 to a. correspondin point on the opposite side of the core. witsufiicient additional length at each end of the strip to permit saidends to be laid under the beadring part way (say one-half) across itsbase, due calculation being further provided in the length of the stripto compensate for thedegrce of stretch to be imported to it under theconditions of tension in which it is laid.

The cord strip units employed in our improved construction are laid inthe shape and condition as above described over the core or former sideby side until the full circumferential area of the annular core at thesides and trend is entirely covered. In the act of laying the strips arefirst placed across the periphery of the core in plane therewith and atan angle thereto, as indicated by the first position illustrated in Figs. 2 and 8, and the end portions of the strip are then broughtdownwardly over the sides of the core and to contact with the friotionedfabricstrips 2-2, at the bead-edge portion, in the oblique or diagonalfinal osition as illustrated 1n Figs. 2 and 8, and are adhesivelymaintained in their laid position by the uncured sheet rubber covering6' and the frictioned fabric strips. This positional loving of the cordstrip units may be efiect ed by any suitable machine action or in anyadapted manner.

The foregoing conditions of construction as involved in our presentinvention, in which there is employed a plurality of cord strip unitseach made up of a plurality of cord lengths and shaped so that in theoblique position of lay the cord unit will cover entirely and at allpoints the proportional surface area of the variable circumference ofthe core. the proportions and shape of each strip unit beingpredetermined with relation to the unit areas to be covered, enables thelayinc of the strip units simultaneously at a nlnralitv of points on thecore, and the construction is thus adapted for very rapid andinexpensive conditions of manufacture. In the construction of thecarcass by the laying of the strip units simultaneously at n pluralitvofpoints. the resimultaneously from each of said starting points until thefull area of the core is covered. In this operation, it will beunderstood that the core is revolved in a progressive movement, in whichthe laying of the successive strip units simultaneously at the variousstarting points will progress uniformly, and the loeation of the severalstarting points is such that the uniform and progressive simultaneouslaying of the strips etween said mints will finally cover ac curatelythe rill circumferential area between ea'cli of the starting strips atsaid separated points. However, if preferred, to produce the improvedconstruction accordmg to our present invention, the cord strip units maybe laid and positioned starting from a singlepoint and with a singlestrip and from thence laying the strips successively and singly as thecore advanced in its revoluble movement until the full area of the coreis covered and the final laid strip terminates at the side of theinitial starting strip. which conditions of the successive lay of thestrips side by side is indicated in Fig. 8. r

The conditions of uniform tension which are enabled by our improvedconstruction are an important feature of the invention. In laying thecord units in the manner before described, the strips are stretched overthe core to a condition of uniform tension in each andall of the strips.which uniform tensional lay may be effected byany suitable machineaction or in any adapted manner, and the tensionedconditzions of lay aremaintained by the adhesive quality of the rubber covering 6 on the coreand the frictioned fabric strips 2. This tensioned condition in uniformdegree is effected in each cord strip unit as they are successively laidand is maintained. in the progresive laying operation until the fullarea of the core is covered by t e-strips. for which purpose there maybe a ditionallv emploved suitable clamping mechanism which will comeintn operation successively atthe bead-edge portion of the strips aseach strip is laid and will have a positive action to clamp the laidstrip in its applied position on the core. When the stri s are laid andtensioned asbefore described. the tensional condition is thenpermanently fixed by the application of a bead strip or member, 14.which is a reinforced annular ring of approximately triangularcrossrection and of reinforced vulcanized rubber or other suitablematerial, the beadi'im being placed asrain'slt the end portion ofthecord strip units which contacts with the frictlonerl fabric strips 2,just above the terminal edge or end portion of the cord strips, whichterminal edge or end portion is folded or pressed back under the toe 4of the bead and applied so that it adheres to the under portion 01' baseof the bead and extends partly across the base in the final constructionof the completely laid cord carcuss.

Ihe initial completed and tensioned lay of an under ply of the cordstrips is illustrated in F ig. 10, in which the end portion 9 of thecord strip units is in adhesive connection with the upper portion 3 ofthe frictioncd fabric strips 2 and extends a short distance beneath thepoint at which the bead-toe will come, as at 15v This luring of the cordstrip units in position over the core as shown in Fig. 10 completes theinitial lay of the under ply of the cord fabric carcass, and in theprovision of a two-ply carcass constructed accordin to our invention thesecond ply is then laid. Preliminary to the laying of the second pl anenvelope or covering, 16, having an ad iesire quality, preferablyuncured sheet rubber. and corresponding to the first envelope orcovering, 6 which is laid over the core, is placed over the first plyot' the cord strip units and the bead-ring 14 is placed in position. Thesecond ply constituted by the cord strip units is then laid over therubber envelope or covering 16 in the same manner as to laying andtensioning the construction of the cord fabric as that hereinbeforedescribed with reference to the laying of the first ply, the uniformtension and positional lay of the cord strips of the second pl beingmaintained by the adhesive qua. ity of the rubber covering 10 and theend )ortion 9 of the cord strips of the second p y being laid againstand in adhesive contact with the outer face of the head-ring 14 andhaving'the terminal edge or end. as at l7, projecting belowthe beadring"a sutiicient distance to be folded or pressed back and applied to coverapproximately our-half of the under portion or base of the bead-ring;this initial positional and relative lay of the two plies beingillustrated in Fig. 1]. In the lay of the second ply, the cord unitstrips are laid at an angle or in. oblique position opposite to theangle of lay or oblique position of the cord strips of the first ply. asshown in Fig. 1, the lay of the two plies thus being at reverse diagonalangles. It will be understood that t1 e lay ing of the second ply of thecord strip units corresponds to that of the first ply in respect touniformity of tension, the features of construction, and the manner oflaying and positional relationship of the cord strips. and compensationfor the increasing variable circumference which is covered at all pointsof the surface area by the strips which cover their correct proportionalsurface area.

In the practical construction of the improved carcass, when the initiallay of the two plies is completed as shown in Fig; 11, the respectiveterminal ends or edges 15 of the strips of the first ly and 17 of thestrips of the second p y are then folded up or pressed back under thebead-ring so that they cover and adhere to the under or base portionthereof with the terininal end edges of the strips of the respectiveplies abutting, as shown in Fig. 12, and the free dependmg lower portion5 of the frictioned fa ric strips 2 is then turned upwardly against andacross the folded or turned ends of the cord strips, which underlie thebeadring, and extends in adhesive connection therewith to the heel ofthe bead, A supplementary frictioncd fabric strip, 18, which we term a.chafing strip in its relation to the wheel rim, is then placed inposition in contact with the underlying end of the frictioned fabricstrip 2 and extends from the bead-toe end and around the beadheel andupward against the outer surface of the second ply of cord strips to apoint above the head portion which will be above the contact surface ofthe rim-flange when the tire is in use. The final completed la of thetwo plies of cord strip units, in which the frictioned fabric strips 2and the chafinnr strips of frictioned fabric 18 operate to securely bindthe cord strips in their positioned and uniform tensional la and securethe bead construction, is illustrated in Fig. 12, and after thecompletion of the laying up of the cord carcass 1n the improvedconstruction constituting our present invention; as shown in Fig. 12,the rubber body of the tire shoe or casing, consisting of the sidewalls, cushion stock, breaker strip and thread stock (as indicated inFi 1) is applied in the usual manner in his art and the casing is thenvulcanized and finished and ready for commercial use under any of theusual or well-known processes.

When the construction of the carcass has been completed in its laid andsecured ten sionel condition. as shown in Fig. 12, and prior to theapplication of the rubber body of the the shoe or casing, in thesubsequent finishing of the complete tire and the embodying of theimproved cord caracss therein we prefer to clamp the cords of thecarcass in their tensioned and laid position, to maintain or makepositive their positional and tensioned lay during, the handling in theapplication of the side walls, cushion stock. breaker strip and treadstock of the rubber body of the tire casing and during the finishing ofthe latter in the vulcanizlug process. F or this purpose. we apply tothe cord carcass, when its ay has been completed as shown in Fig. 12.metallic rings, fil -l9. extending annularly at the bead portion of thelaid carcass at the respective provided in the outer subsequent sidesthereof, as shown in Fi '13. These clamping rings are'turned or s apedat the upper ortion of their inner face, as at 20, to con, orm to thecrosssectional contour of the bead-toe of the completed carcass, andextend upwardly, as at 21, a suitable distance (say, approximately oneinch) above the heel of the bead, and also extend downwardly, as at 22,beneath the beadbase a suitable distance to accommodate the means bywhich they are clamped in position. Said moans preferably consists oftransverse bolts, 23, passing through corresponding openings in theneck, 24, of the core or mandrel l and through the base portion 22 ofthe respective rin s 19-19 at opposite sides of the core, the head, 25,and the nut, 26, of the bolt-securing means'being preferablyaccommodated n recesses, as at 27, faces of the respective clampmg'rings. When the clamping rings, as 'ust described, are applied inconnection Wltl1'tl1G head portion of the completed and tensioned lay ofthe cord carcass, any slippage or displacement of the cord during thehandling incident to the application of the rubber-bodyof the tire shoeor casing or the vulcanizing thereof is positively precluded. Inpractivc, the clamping rings 19-19 preferably become portions of themolds in which the tire shoe or casing is finally vulcanized, the moldsbeing turned out or recessed to receive and accommodate the contour ofthe rings, and after the vuloanizing is COZIlPlBtBCl and the finishedshoe or casing is removed from the molds said rings are then releasedand detached from the finished casing.

It will be understood that the conditions .of our improved constructionare not limited to the production of the tire carcasses in any specialnumber of plies, but are adepted for carcasses having any desiredplurality of plies. which may be successively laid in the conditions andmanner as hereinbefore described. Nor is the carrying out of ourimproved construction dependent upon any particular mechanism or aparatus for constructing the carcass by mac line action in the various,steps involved, as machines of various types may be employed,particularly a machine for manufacturing tires according to theconstruction constituting our present invention and which is thesubject'- matter of a separate application for patent.

It will also be understood that our improved construction in its generalcharacter and generic scope is not restricted to the employment of thecords in unitary stri s each made up of a plurality of cord lengt s, butthat under some conditions as involved in the generic character of ourimprovements single lengths of cord may be emploved to produce the cordfabric plies, according to the features of the construction as set forthplurality of cord strip units simple and eflicient manner and with ecoa.

nomicsl conditions of manufacture, and the effective and convenientforniation or the bead-edge in connection with the frictioned fabricstrips, and coincident with the construction of the cord fabric uniformdesired i Y conditions of tension are eEected and the cords securelymaintained in the condition of tension under which they are laid by thecohesive bonds which are established in. our improved constructionduring the laying of the cords and until the final completion of thefinished carcass; Theconstruction thus produces a simple and improvedcord carcass which will afiord a tire structure of superior strength anddurability.

Havin thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. An internal body fabric for the shoe or casing of pneumatic tires,comprising a each consisting of e plurelity ofcord lengths assembledtogether side byside and so shaped in crosssection that each strip unitwill cover at all points the proportional surface area. from thebead-edge to the tread portion in a path oblique to the annulus of thetire and compensate for the increasing progressive variablecircumference throughout the path in which the strip is laid, said stripunits extending in series in successive position side by side andentirely covering in series the variable circumference of the tire.

2. An internal body fabric for the shoe or casing ofpneumatic tires,comprising a plurality of cord strip units each consisting of a.plurality of cord lengths assembled together side by side and havm across-sectional column which isfla-ttenefat the beadedge ortion with thenarrow diameter of said attened ends at right angles to the annulus ofthe tire and merging from said 115 flattened ends into a cylindricalcross-section and from thencemerging into a flattened central portion inwhich the narrow diameter is in the plane of the annulus of the tire,whereby each strip unit will cover at all points the proportionalsurface area from the bead-edge to the tread ortion in a path oblique tothe annulus of t e tire and compensate for the increasing progressivevariable circumference throughout the path in which the strip is laid,said strip units extending in series in successive position side by sideand entirely covering in series the variable circumference of the tire.

3. An internal body fabric for the shoe or casing of pneumatic tires,comprising a plurality of cord stri units each consisting of a.plurality of cor lengths assembled together side by side and havingtheir greatest width at the central portion and from thence graduallytapering in width to their end portions, whereby each strip unit willcover the proportional surface area from the beadedge to the treadportion in a path oblique to the annulus of the tire and compensate forthe increasing progressive variable circiunference throughout the pathin which the strip is laid, said strip units extending in series inoblique or diagonal position and successi-vely side by side and entirelycovering in series the ruriable circumference of the tire.

4. An internal body fabric for the shoe or casing of pneumatic tires,comprising a plurality of cord strip units each conslstmg of a pluralityof cord lengths assembled together side by side and having a flattenedreatest width at the central portion and from thence. taperin in widthto the end portions and gradua 1y merging from said central portion intoflattened end portions having their narrow diameter at right angles tothe narrow diameter of the flattened central portion, whereby each stripunit will cover at all points the proportional surface area from thebead-edge to the tread portion in a path oblique to the annulus of thetire and compensate for the increasing progressire variablecircumference throughout the path in which the strip is laid, said stripunits extending in series in oblique or diagonal position andsuccessively side by side and entirely covering in series the variablecircumference of the tire.

An internal body fabric for the shoe or casing of pneumatic tires,comprising a plurality of cord lengths extending in successive positionside by side and so shaped in cross-section that the successive lay ofsaid lengths covers at all points the proportional surface area from thebead-edge to the tread portion in a path oblique to the annulus of thetire and compensates for the increasin progressive variablecircumference t roughout the path in which the cord lengths are laid.

6. An internal body fabric for the shoe or casing of pneumatic tires,comprising a plurality of cord units extending in series in successiveposition side by slde and so shaped in cross-section that each unit willcover the proportional surface area at the sides and tread ortion inapath oblique to the annulus of the tire and the successive lay of saidunits will compensate for the increasing progressive variablecircumference in the path in which the cord unit is laid.

In testimony whereof we have signed the foregoing s ecification.

F EDRICK S. DICKINSON.

JOHN SPRINGER.

